Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-26
FRANCE AND GERMANY.
fDypou, March "a

~.
fcypox, March "a
Strasburg is too familiar q resort OF travellers
OF sll kinds 10 offcr any features TOR descrp-
ton. It's chief interest In regard 20 contemporary
frontier questions lies In the fact that the line OF
demaroatton between France and Germany n
more clearly drawn in its population than any
where else. Metz is practically a French city. In
spite OF It's enormous German garrison. stras-
burg, on the other hand. In spite OF its French
population is as thoroughly German. The French
and the Germans there have few more dealings
than had the Jews ana the saInarftans. They
have their separate newspaper, their separate
pleasure resorts even their separate cafes and it
Is rare thing 70 hear conversation In French In
German cafe, or In German In a French cafe
And there are no signs that this feeling is abat-
ing-rather the contrary. strasburg has It's regu-
lar German student hie with its corps, Its gaudy
little caps and Its students hsunta Most Of III
places Of amusement, like the famous Rheinlust
are absolutely German and are crammed with
soldiers The war feeling Is universal there and
all talk, like that of de Blowitz the famous Paris
correspondent OF the 7snes, about the cession by
Prince Bismarck 10 France OF certain parts Of Al
OF strasburg life. II Is all very well for the belcose
inhabitants of small French towns near the frontier
TO say, as they frequently did 10 me: ais ont nos
terves; iis nonf pas cGurs," but "Hei der
!Sieoerkranx" strikes the note TO which the popu-
lation OF this part OF the annexed provinces 10.
spends with one voice and one heart.
THE y0uRNKys KND.
Our trip along the frontier came 70 an END q
strasburg, partly because we had abundantly
satisfied ourselves upon the prime objects OF our
visit and partly because there came upon Us Q
snow-storm which covered the whole country q
foot deep and In the teeth OF which it did not seem
worth while TO complete the few miles 90 Belfort.
Il N mil
therefore, to summarize as definitely as possible
the conclusions which such journey At such o
time leaves upon ones mind with regard TO the
future. These are reached partly from the facts
and experiences which have detailed IN my prp-
little Impressions which one receives hall uncon-
scious from day 70 day, and which, while they are
Individually too Insignificant 90 be recorded form
d"uce. First among these conclusions comes the
rather commonplace one that after all a frontier-
even 20 disputed one as that which divides
France and Germany-is very much like anywhere
else.
NO HrTs. NO AnnIEs NO sEKrIsuA
There is no long line OF fortincations or earth
works, no row Of vigilant sentinels there are no
opposing armies watching each other across t,
and the inhabitants OF the border lands work ana
sleep, and are engrossed with their private affairs
and their petty personal anxicties exactly Ike
other people. We crossed the frontier altogether
about twenty-five times, and In every psrt, except
the last few miles saw not the slightest trace OF
the alleged hut-building on vast scale nor OF the
SuppoSp CONCENTRATION Oh largt DO0ltS French
troops Everything In France was Ia fact as Gen
Boulanger had assured me should find It. The
French troops and the French fortresses seemed
80 far as II WAS possible for outsider 10 learn n
q state OF admirable discipline and perfect ordi-
nary preparation; " special preparation saw
literally no sign whatever. AS regards these ordi-
nary preparations, Germany undoubtedly appears
far more advanced than France, and among Ger
mans especially German military men, the belief
in war, and practically In immediate war is unan-
imous The German army left che Impression OF
the vast machine which Won Moltke has Always
OF the lever 20 sci IL I'm instAntaneos nd perfst
motion. The French, on the other hand have
been hard at work spending and training and
building during seventeen yeasN and In spite OF
the absence OF direct evidence It Is Impossible to
believe that they have not had their goal steadily
In view and that nj the present moment they are
far from IL The one sentiment that heard most
dent assertion that the next war win be a wholly
different one nom the last. "Oel0 ne ssyo fas
conlme en- soixdnte-sffr" is the boast u the one:
"d,essndt vird - wus andsvs sssW," II the admits.
now rur NAV oc,
II, -. 80 -. 49, 49, -
INA. "si "h ooi'o, onu snn' uotore vcry lung,
1 find II quite Impossible 70 doubt Every one q
snoken rpcantlv I'm thu suh,ect- lid u,ca..aav
ana Sir c,hariec ntire I'm rn@9an6 .aen us.,,ss~y
AND - 1yc.nenccan IN Fr~ncc and -. M
mont in BeIpium~hsve expresSs3 10 douot Of this
Whafever feavtnc Russisn imrerfsi ysoiscy a,a6
xnsfrtan domesaic afYairs on ofe saa N ,,,srSs
caii,y Ss,coSsnsohnn.sfis f6S .srnnss.sr
rsSs,,aI Ne IN WHOM Ssr csn corre AN =. 49,
Rrsncs ma aarmany r,II sfaadiiv sccr~a.s thoss
a,anf ntti 49, s,rn,n h ss1 ~ -. ~" vi
o.H - tnasn az s.as rha. rso ,.1I 49, A.,
~ 49, N Isee,nS "a - 40 th, FL. 0vu0s 1.
marck is I'm DSver the urohsbnty srems 70 Se
m at he vo,Iid cut the rnnf nv M ahtne s,,na A.
mand Tor explanation on the diplomatic action a
criminstions which would follow Won6 orySan.